If you’re going to enjoy yourself in
Athens, you better get in shape and bring comfortable walking shoes and plenty
of water. Most of the famous sites in the city require either walking uphill,
or walking along a stony path. And beware of the marble stairs, wherever you
go: they are dreadfully slippery!
I took a city bus tour on my first day in Athens and it was worth the money. The tour included the Acropolis, and took in the region of to the Olympic Stadium, Syntagma Square, Zeus’ Temple and other important tourist sites. It was a nice way to make introduction to the city and plan out the rest of my trip.
How about the food? Modest neighborhood restaurants are your best bet. They dish up inexpensive, delicious and truly local fare. Fancier restaurants in spots like Plaka are expensive, and you’re more likely to see fried chicken on the menu, than a gyro or souvlaki. And a word of warning: go easy on the OUZO! That stuff goes down way too easy, and after finishing half a bottle with dinner, I slept for 12 hours and had a hangover the next day.
Where to stay? Hotels and hostels are plentiful in Athens. Rooms do get booked up during high season – so book early. Quality and standards may vary just like any other destination. Location and price should be you main priorities. A good website for client reviews is www.tripadvisor.com. For good deals on a range of Athens hotels and other Greece hotels check out Cybertravel Network’s Greece website at www.hotels-greece-athens.com.
How to Get Around:
Athens has allegedly more taxi cabs per capita than any other city in the world. Having said that, the fact is, it’s almost not possible to hail down an empty one during the rush hour. Often a cab will slow down and pull up to a curb and cabbie will ask ‘Pou?,’ which means ‘where.’ Just yell out where you want to go to (in Greek preferably), and if you’re fortunate it will be on his way. I can’t say anything in good faith about the truthfulness of cabbies in Athens. I took a cab three times, and twice I got ripped off, so make your own conclusions.
In my view the best way to get around Athens is by bus or trolley. The tickets are not expensive and available at kiosks along any street. Just make sure you cancel the ticket in a ticket machine immediately after you enter the bus or a trolley. There are plenty of ticket controllers around to catch you if you travel without a ticket, or if you forget to stamp it.
I took a city bus tour on my first day in Athens and it was worth the money. The tour included the Acropolis, and took in the region of to the Olympic Stadium, Syntagma Square, Zeus’ Temple and other important tourist sites. It was a nice way to make introduction to the city and plan out the rest of my trip.
How about the food? Modest neighborhood restaurants are your best bet. They dish up inexpensive, delicious and truly local fare. Fancier restaurants in spots like Plaka are expensive, and you’re more likely to see fried chicken on the menu, than a gyro or souvlaki. And a word of warning: go easy on the OUZO! That stuff goes down way too easy, and after finishing half a bottle with dinner, I slept for 12 hours and had a hangover the next day.
Where to stay? Hotels and hostels are plentiful in Athens. Rooms do get booked up during high season – so book early. Quality and standards may vary just like any other destination. Location and price should be you main priorities. A good website for client reviews is www.tripadvisor.com. For good deals on a range of Athens hotels and other Greece hotels check out Cybertravel Network’s Greece website at www.hotels-greece-athens.com.
How to Get Around:
Athens has allegedly more taxi cabs per capita than any other city in the world. Having said that, the fact is, it’s almost not possible to hail down an empty one during the rush hour. Often a cab will slow down and pull up to a curb and cabbie will ask ‘Pou?,’ which means ‘where.’ Just yell out where you want to go to (in Greek preferably), and if you’re fortunate it will be on his way. I can’t say anything in good faith about the truthfulness of cabbies in Athens. I took a cab three times, and twice I got ripped off, so make your own conclusions.
In my view the best way to get around Athens is by bus or trolley. The tickets are not expensive and available at kiosks along any street. Just make sure you cancel the ticket in a ticket machine immediately after you enter the bus or a trolley. There are plenty of ticket controllers around to catch you if you travel without a ticket, or if you forget to stamp it.
In the next post I’ll talk about
some things to see in and around Athens.
Until then,
Elan Vitkoff
Owner, Colfax Greek Bistro
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